Apple installing flat camera metalenses on iPhones, iPads, and AR glasses
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By then, Apple would have tucked the iPhone's Face ID kit under the display as was recently reported by display industry analyst Ross Young. The thin as a sheet of paper metalens will make under-display Face ID cameras easier to pull off which explains why Apple would be starting them there first. Here is a list of the Ming-Chi Kuo predictions regarding Apple's metalens move:
- The supply chain is anticipated to start mass production of Apple’s metalens in 2024, which is expected to replace the iPad’s plastic lens of the Face ID Tx.
- Should the metalens for the iPad in 2024 successfully ship, iPhone Face ID will adopt metalens in 2025 or 2026 (the latter is more likely at present).
- Apple’s metalens development has three long-term strategic goals: (1) reduce reliance on existing plastic lenses; (2) leverage metalens’ technological and cost advantages for product design and sales; and (3) facilitate the extensive use of metalens in Apple Glasses (not AR/MR headsets) which will go to mass production in 2026 or 2027 at the earliest.
- Glasses-type head-mounted display devices are the killer application for metalens. If glasses-type head-mounted display devices achieve success, metalens shipments can experience explosive growth.
Apparently, Apple is not certain that its Reality One VR headset will be met with a market success, so it may still be working on the rumored Apple AR Glasses which would be much less dorkier to be seen with than the head-mounted VR contraption.
The rumored Reality One AR/VR headset, on the other hand, is expected to arrive this year with retail price of about $3,000 and a few hours of battery life which would seal its fate as a niche product.
With the advent of lighter and cheaper metalenses, Apple Glasses could be made much more compact and elegant, so users would eventually be able to venture outside while wearing them, ushering in a prospective year of mass adoption that could turn out to be a boon for metalens manufacturers.
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